


safer in the dark

by thetasteoflies



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Ghost Stories, Halloween 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27313246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetasteoflies/pseuds/thetasteoflies
Summary: The gaang trade stories around a campfire and Zuko tells a ghost story.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 103





	safer in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!!!
> 
> This takes place at Ember Island. Post Southern Raiders, pre-comet.

* * *

* * *

A full moon hung low on the horizon, yellow and watching over the scene below.

The group sat gathered around a bright beach bonfire, huddled for warmth and comfort in what they knew might be their last few days together. Though no one was willing to admit it.

Instead, they decided to spend the evening living in other worlds, trading stories. The fantasies, the legends, the parables that they had all grown up with. They talked long into the night, taking turns around the fire, laughing or humming thoughtfully as appropriate at the stories from all around the world.

“It’s getting late,” Aang yawned after many hours.

“Aw, come on. One more,” Sokka pleaded. “Who has something good? Something we haven’t heard before.” He looked around the circle.

“I know a scary story,” Zuko offered.

The fire crackled and no one said anything. Sokka beamed and Zuko took the cue. He paused an extra few seconds for any straggling protestation. When he heard none, he began his story.

“There once was a couple from warring villages not far from here. They were young and very much in love, despite the divide of their people. They met in secret on nights where the moonlight was bright enough to light their way through the dense forest that divided their villages. The forest was very dangerous, full of spirits and monsters that lived in the shadows and they promised each other not to trek into the forest without the protection of the moon.” He gestured behind him to the expanse of forest just beyond the beach.

“One day, the woman’s brother told her that he knew of her lover and was planning to kill him to keep his sister from disgrace.

The same day, the man’s father told him that he had learned of his lover and that the man must either kill her or be exiled from the village.

There was no moon that night, but the woman went into the forest anyway, wanting to warn her love that he was in danger. She came upon another figure in the forest but was unable to see who it was in the dark. Assuming it could be no other than her love, she rushed toward the figure. When she got close, she felt a sudden and sharp pain between her ribs." Zuko suddenly brought his hand in front of him and mimed being stabbed, doubling over in false pain.

"She looked down to find a dagger in her chest. She collapsed in agony and in her dying breath heard a voice above her say," Zuko angled his chin down and said in a low, growling voice, "‘You shouldn’t have been out here in the dark.’"

Suki made a whimpering sound. 

Zuko went on, "It is said that on moonlit nights, like tonight, she wanders through the forest, looking for her lover, looking for her killer for she never knew if the two were one in the same. In the moonlight she hopes to finally see the face of her killer.” He looked around the circle. Next to him, Aang stared back, wide-eyed and horrified. Sokka and Suki had turned into a single lump, hiding together under a blanket. Across the circle, Toph had her knees drawn to her chest and Katara wrung her hands.

“And so, it’s said that around these woods,” he paused a long moment for dramatic effect, “you’re only safe in the dark.” With this, he extinguished the fire.

“Okay!” Aang said, standing suddenly. “That’s officially enough for tonight. Good night, everyone!”

The group broke up, retiring with mumbled “g’night’s” and promises to walk each other to their rooms.

Zuko lingered behind, watching everyone get back to the house safely. Soon enough it was only Katara who still remained by the firepit, seemingly entranced by the glow of the embers.

“Not tired?” Zuko asked her.

She simply shrugged and poked at the coals with a stick. Her eyes were unfocused as she flipped and prodded the spent remains of the dying fire.

“Are you scared?” he teased, walking over to her.

The wind picked up and he watched her mouth form the word “No,” though the wind stole the sound of her voice. She shivered.

“Cold?” he guessed, and she nodded. He sat beside her in the sand and she shivered again.

“How are you so warm?” she said. “I can feel you from here!”

He smiled to himself and held out his arm. She looked at him skeptically for half a second before she scooted closer, leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm around her.

“Better?”

She hummed her response and picked up the stick again to poke at the coals.

“I don’t like your story,” she said, unprompted.

Zuko smiled again, fought the urge to laugh a little.

“Oh?” he responded. “Why is that?”

“Because,” she huffed. “You made it seem like the moon is something to be afraid of.”

“No, I didn’t. Just what lurks in the moonlight.”

“I’ll show you what lurks in the moonlight,” she mumbled.

“What was that?” He tightened his hand around her shoulder.

“Nothing!”

“Uh-huh.”

They let a comfortable silence fall around them. As the cinders faded into black ash, Katara snuggled closer and rested her head on Zuko’s shoulder. He wondered if maybe she’d fallen asleep.

“Katara?” he asked softly, expecting her to recoil when she realized how close she was.

But she didn’t because she hadn’t been asleep. She tipped her head up to face him, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Zuko held his breath, unsure if she looked sleepy or expectant or neither of those.

She answered him by bringing a hand to his cheek, stroking her thumb lightly over the border of smooth and rough skin. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. When he opened them again, his uncertainty evaporated under the heat of her gaze. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, playing with the soft hairs she found there. He dipped his head to kiss her and she tugged at him, looping both her arms around his neck. He sighed contentedly and felt her smile against his lips before returning to kiss her again and again and again.

* * *

* * *

Behind them, at the edge of the forest, a figure watched them.

“Young love,” a woman’s voice creaked out in a whisper. “Too perfect to last.”

* * *

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> ❤️🧡💛  
> -kay

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Scary Story Showdown](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27389404) by [iloveallmyfandomsequally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveallmyfandomsequally/pseuds/iloveallmyfandomsequally)




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